Early goals help to ease Cork's passage

Cork 3-24 Wexford 2-17:TEN points separated the sides at the end as Cork accounted for Wexford to reach the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals at Thurles on Saturday evening.

Though at times their lead was not always huge, Cork looked likelier to progress, three first-half goals having provided a cushion for them. Given their previous two games, against Tipperary and Offaly, had only yielded one green flag, it was a pleasing scoreline for manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy.

“The goals in the first half were a help, we hadn’t been getting them and probably paid the penalty against Tipperary for that,” he said.

“That will give the lads more confidence as well.”

It was another good attacking performance from Cork, having hit at least 24 points in each of their games to date. Full-forward Luke O’Farrell scored 2-2 in a fine display while Niall McCarthy hit four points and captain Patrick Horgan impressed from frees.

At times, however their defence found itself under pressure from Wexford, with Diarmuid Lyng and Rory Jacob in impressive form.

After O’Farrell’s first goal had put Cork 1-2 to 0-2 in front, Lyng responded immediately. But shortly after that O’Farrell touched home a delivery from deep before Wexford goalkeeper Eanna Martin could get to it and when goalkeeper Anthony Nash converted a penalty, won by O’Farrell, Cork led by 3-3 to 1-4.

Cork still found themselves under pressure and if Eoin Quigley or Harry Kehoe had been able to take advantage of goal chances, their lead would have been all but wiped out. As it was, two Jack Guiney points and one from Garrett Sinnott left Wexford two behind, 3-7 to 1-11 at half-time.

Though Cork began the second half well through Nash and Niall McCarthy, Guiney and Sinnott soon cancelled out those scores.

But, with the breeze now at their backs, Cork seized the momentum and scored seven of the next 10 points, Wexford again missing crucial goal chances. Cork’s lead had expanded to nine points before Sinnott had a well-taken late goal for Wexford to cut the gap.

But four unanswered points sealed it for Cork, two from sub Jamie Coughlan with one each for Pa Cronin and Horgan, to leave Barry-Murphy happy.

“An All-Ireland quarter final was our minimum target at the start of the year and it’s job done as far as we’re concerned,” he said.

CORK:A Nash (1-1, 1-0 penalty, one free); S O'Neill, D Cahalane, B Murphy; T Kenny, E Cadogan, W Egan; L McLoughlin (0-1), P Cronin (0-2); C Lehane (0-2), C McCarthy, N McCarthy (0-4); P O'Sullivan (0-2), L O'Farrell (2-2), P Horgan (0-7, five frees). Subs: D Sweetman for McLoughlin (49 mins), C Naughton (0-1) for Lehane (59 mins), S Óg Ó hAilpín for Egan (62 mins), J Coughlan (0-2, one free) for N McCarthy (66 mins), S Moylan for C McCarthy (70 mins).

WEXFORD: E Martin; K Rossiter, M O'Hanlon, E Moore; R Kehoe, D Stamp, C Kenny; E Quigley, D Redmond (0-1); G Sinnott (1-2), H Kehoe (0-2), D Lyng (1-3, 0-2 sideline, one free); P Morris, R Jacob (0-3), J Guiney (0-5, two frees, one 65). Subs: S Murphy for Quigley (blood, 13-19 mins), L Óg McGovern (0-1) for Kehoe (43 mins), Murphy for Guiney (blood, 51-52 mins), Murphy for Morris (61 mins), S Banville for Quigley (67 mins).

Referee:J Ryan (Tipperary).